Children of Fire
by Julie Wtersprite
Summary: When life throws you for a loop, keep going and don't stagger, that was always the motto Sakura lived by. But when her whole world suddenly collapses in itself and she's left with nothing but shards, can she keep up? KakaSaku
1. Chapter 1

**Children of Fire**

**by Julie Watersprite**

**Chapter I - Introlude  
**

With a weary sigh and watery limbs, Sakura dragged herself out of bed. She'd barely slept the past night, and the night before hadn't been better. A burning sensation in her throat hadn't allowed her to draw proper breaths as every intake of air brought even more hotness along with it. She'd drank so much water to try and sooth the feeling that she'd been getting up every hour to empty her bladder. The burning was still present and was now coupled with a slight fever that was probably the result of two sleepless nights. Yesterday had been her one free day and she'd managed to rest even if she didn't sleep a wink, but today she had training with her team and then half a shift at the hospital. However, maybe the exhaustion would make her fall asleep without being bothered by her throat.

A cool shower brought some relief, coffee scaled her even more than her painful breaths, and she vomited the two spoonfuls of cereal she'd eaten before making her way to the bridge to wait for Kakashi. The air was fresh and she took a deep breath, thankful that al least the weather was on her side, she would've suffocated if it had been sunny. For once, she relished in the over-cast sky and the cold breezes that tangled her hair.

Naruto was already there as she arrived by the meeting point, idly throwing pebbles into the river and yawning every two seconds. He spotted her and brightened, a grin stretched across his face and she felt a little better. The pure and utter joy that lightened up his always sunny features whenever she was in the vicinity was a statement of how much she meant to him. It warmed her heart and she smiled at him despite her miserable mood.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan!" he called jovially, moving to greet her, her smile brightened a bit. "Did you sleep well?"

She didn't let him see the traces of her sleepless nights on her smile and responded with slightly forced cheer, "Morning, Naruto. Well enough thank you. And you?"

He laughed and folded his arms behind his head, putting his weight on her left foot as his right leg bent at the knee. "I slept like a log, almost didn't hear my alarm this morning."

Sakura smiled and was about to say something when she spotted Sai coming towards them. Looking over the blond's shoulder at her dark-haired teammate, she greeted him as well. "Good morning, Sai."

The pale artist smiled a small but genuine smile and walked around Naruto to stand in the middle. "Good morning, hag, dickless. Did you have a restful night?"

Sakura would never get used to his polite speech manner combined with the insulting nicknames, but she'd learned to ignore it most of the time, and Naruto had stopped getting upset every single time and just insulted Sai in turn.

"Morning to you too, asshole. I hope you had nightmares." The blonde grumbled but grinned at Sakura who smirked at him slightly. Those two would never change, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Sai adapted his false smile again, but didn't respond, probably not knowing what to say once again. Kakashi wouldn't show up until at least an hour had gone by, but Sakura had a feeling it would be longer.

* * *

She was right. Three agonizing hours had dragged by as Team Kakashi waited for their tardy leader. With every second and every pained breath, Sakura thought up one new tortuous way to strip the Copy Ninja of his life. That man underestimated her temper and her determination to do something drastic when frustrated, and she was beyond frustration after being forced to wait for so long on the tardiest person known to humankind.

Half hour into the waiting, Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru had passed them on the way to their own training, five minutes ago they'd left for a late breakfast, done with their training and ready to take on their daily duties. Team Kakashi hadn't even started their training. Thankfully, Sakura's shift started at three or Tsunade would already be on the hunt for her apprentice's head.

All three teammates were at varying stages of frustration. What in the nine hells was taking Kakashi so long? He hadn't been so late since their first training together.

Naruto had draped himself over the ledge some time ago, staring at the water, and wincing every time his stomach gave a loud and plaintive growl. He had been forced to go out without breakfast that morning, having forgotten that his fridge and cupboards were empty groceries shopping ended up being the last thing on his mind the previous evening. Waiting until the training ended to eat at Ichiraku's sounded like worst torture imaginable.

Sakura was sitting down, back and head leaned against the ledge, knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them, mouth open and breathing in the cold air, somewhat alleviating the almost unbearable heat in her throat. Kakashi was so dead when she got her hands on him. She's definitely going to report this to Tsunade and let the Hokage punish him on top the beating he'll get from her. That bastard was going to suffer.

Sai was sitting to her right, his sketchbook out drawing the Nagano River and the cherry trees around it. Sakura found it somewhat futile to draw that particular view in November, her namesake won't be blossoming for another five months, but if Sai liked it than who was she to stop him?

_You're a dead man Kakashi,_ Inner Sakura growled with growing annoyance and her Outer counterpart could only agree. If she had to wait another five minutes, she was going to destroy the Hokage Monument in a fit of righteous rage.

Turns out, she didn't have to wait the five more minutes of Hell.

A sudden muted 'pop' above her head startled her out of her homicidal thoughts and she craned her neck to glare at her team leader, crouched on the ledge a few inches above her.

"Yo," Kakashi greeted them with a raised hand, but Sakura noted that his usual eye-crinkling smile was absent. From what she could make out of his face under that infernal mask, his expression was serious, if not slightly haggard.

That didn't stop her from giving him a piece of her mind, though. "You're late," she said, ominously calm. "Very late. We waited three hours for you, _sensei_. I don't know about the other two, but I am going to beat you blue and black and then report it to Tsunade-shishou. You're getting more and more irresponsible as you grow older."

Naruto gulped and Sai backed away when she stood up, turning to glare directly into Kakashi's sole dark eye. Had the Copy Ninja been anyone else, he'd already be a bloody pulp twitching on the ground. It was only Sakura's respect of him that gave him a chance to explain himself before her temper took over.

"I know. I'm sorry." His quiet voice carried freely as his teammates waited for whatever lie he was going to dish them this time. It never came.

Bright cerulean met slightly feverish emerald in silent shock and even Sai raised an incredulous eyebrow. They'd all grown accustomed to Kakashi's excuses and kept track of them to ensure he didn't try to feed them the same sorry lie twice. However, him not trying to lie outright… Well it never happened before. It frightened Sakura a little.

"Kaka-sensei…" she started cautiously. "Are you feeling alright?"

Kakashi sighed and raked a hand through his messy silver hair. "Yes, Sakura. I feel just fine, don't worry." When she continued eyeing him with worry, he gave another sigh and turned his one-eyed gaze to Naruto. "Naruto, there's something I have to tell you. You probably won't like it."

Naruto tensed a bit before a wry grin stretched his lips and he huffed out a small nervous laugh. "What's the matter, Kaka-sensei? You copied my sexy no jutsu, or something?"

This irritated Sakura a bit and she snapped at Naruto. "Baka. As if Kakashi would do something like that. He may be a major pervert, but he's not a brainless one like you and Jiraiya-sama. Now stop being an idiot and listen to him."

"Sorry. What were you saying, Kaka-sensei?" Naruto apologized sheepishly and turned his attention to their team leader again.

Kakashi had abandoned his crouch in favor of sitting on the ledge and fixed his solemn eye on a suddenly nervous Naruto. "The reason why I'm late," he began quietly, "is because I've been with Tsunade-sama all this time. She summoned me before dawn, saying she had something important to tell me. Sakura," the girl jumped as he turned to her, "you probably know that Tsunade-sama is planning to resign, right?"

It was true. Tsunade had talked to both her apprentices about that topic before. Only a week before she'd sat down with Sakura and explained to her youngest protégé and surrogate daughter that the hard work of a Hokage coupled with her old age is wearing too much on her and that stepping down in favor of someone younger was something she just had to do for herself. She didn't want to spend the rest of her days locked in a stuffy office doing paperwork; no matter the honor of her position, it wasn't what she wanted of her life, or the few more years she had left.

It wasn't easy for Sakura to hear. Tsunade had been a mother to her for years, even more, as Sakura had never been close to her own mother. A civilian woman could never understand a kunoichi and vice versa. But Tsunade and her apprentice were very similar in many ways; the two had understood each other perfectly and had bonded quickly. Sakura was mini Tsunade for more than just the Hokage's infamous temper, after all. Moreover, Tsunade had asked Sakura whom the younger kunoichi would judge capable of being the Rukodaime Hokage. Being rational and intelligent Sakura had refrained from simply blurting out 'Naruto', like she'd wanted. It would've earned her a firm scolding from Tsunade. Instead, she'd thought about it.

Surprisingly, Naruto hadn't been the first in her thoughts. It had been Kakashi. Then Tenzou, followed by Kurenai and even Gai. The younger generation offered Hyuuga Neji, an almost perfect candidate; Nara Shikamaru and of course the one and only Uzumaki Naruto. She'd added Shizune, almost as an afterthought.

Tsunade had smiled and nodded approvingly, saying that all of them were capable and would make wonderful Hokage if they got the chance. Both of them had discussed Kakashi and Neji in particular, as the born candidates for the position. Both men bore the title of a prodigy with good reason; both were determined, loyal and loved the village. There Tsunade had said that the Hyuuga Clan in general loved the village and would sacrifice anything for its stake, but that Kakashi's love went deeper than mere obligation or a strong sense of duty. Then she'd, almost slyly added that Sakura had forgotten another important candidate. When her apprentice had started combing her brain for a name that might've escaped her, Tsunade had looked at her intently and silently uttered, "Yourself."

To say that Sakura was shocked would've been an understatement. She'd stuttered and vehemently shook her head, muttering something about 'no, never' and 'not being good enough'. Her shishou had told her confidently that if she asked Konoha's population if they wanted Sakura as their Hokage right that instant, that the majority would agree wholeheartedly. "If they love me, and they do," Tsunade had said, "they'd worship you." It was then that Sakura understood just how much her shishou loved her and how highly she thought of her. She'd broken into tears, embraced Tsunade with a rib-crushing grip, and thanked her repeatedly for everything she'd taught her and for the love she'd bestowed upon her. It had been the first time Sakura had seen the Hokage cry.

Shaking the sobering thoughts from her head, she nodded slightly to Kakashi and whispered, "Yeah, that's right."

The Copy Ninja eyed her for a moment, almost as if he knew what she was thinking about before nodding himself. "Yes. She presented me with a list of potential candidates; all approved by the Jounin and Clan Councils. Your name was there as well and Naruto's, as is expected. She also said that the Hyuuga Clan was more for _you_ becoming Hokage than their own candidate, Neji. Hiashi had apparently reasoned this with the fact that Neji will become the Head of the Clan if Hinata marries someone from outside. Anyway, she told me in confidence that she herself would make you the Hokage tomorrow if you'd say yes and I can only agree. However, we both know that you'd never accept the position if it meant taking it from under Naruto's nose. So she'd come to another decision. Naruto," he turned to the slightly blue-tinted blond. "You're not ready yet. Tsunade-sama is well aware of that, as I am. You'll need a few more years before you're mature enough to shoulder such a responsibility." Here, Kakashi took a deep breath and scratched his head. "I don't want this, nor do I like it any more than you do Naruto, but I was forced to it. I'll be taking the Hokage position until you're ready."

The world seemed to still for a brief moment as student and teacher stared each other in the eye, one knowing that he'd hurt a person close to his heart, the other numb from shock and pain.

Naruto liked Kakashi, he really did, he respected him and looked up to him. Kakashi had always been some kind of unreachable idol for Naruto, a person he had to beat before he could consider himself truly strong. He'd never been able to do it. Despite his advancing age, Kakashi was fast, agile and damn strong. Beating the Copy Ninja was almost an impossibility. And now Kakashi had bested him again, he'd become what Naruto had dreamed of since he'd been able to think. It wasn't fair. Naruto wanted to hate him. He really, truly did. Only he couldn't. Not when Kakashi looked like he wanted to be beat by Sakura and Tsunade together rather than becoming Hokage before him. And most certainly not when Sakura's huge green eyes begged him not to detest their team leader. He'd never been able to deny his best friend anything, after all.

With a deep, defeated sigh, Naruto squared his shoulders and forced a smile. "Well, I guess I am too immature to become Hokage right now. I'm happy for you Kaka-sensei. But don't delude yourself, I'll be ready sooner than you think, and then you'll hand over the position to me!" His happy grin still intact, he turned to Sakura and shrugged. "I guess there'll be no training today, so I'm going to get some ramen, I'm starving." He was off before any of them had a chance to say anything.

Sai being Sai, was perceptive enough to understand that he had no place in the conversation that was waiting to unfold between his remaining two teammates, so he put on his usual fake smile and quietly said, "I'll be going too, I have a painting to finish," before vanishing with a soft 'pop'.

Left alone the two candidates for the Hokage position looked at each other in silence. Both knew that there were many things for them to talk about, starting from why Kakashi would rather have her as Hokage than himself or Naruto. She didn't share that opinion, but she couldn't begrudge him his decision to rule until Naruto was ready. Even if she wasn't keen on admitting it, she nonetheless knew that it was right. There was nothing wrong with what he'd done.

He didn't seem to share her opinion and looked like he wanted to apologize, just didn't know how to.

"Sakura… I…" Kakashi started quietly, unsure what to say, or _how_, but she cut him off.

"It's alright, Kakashi. You don't have to explain to me, I understand. And Naruto will come to terms with it, just give him some time. He has to adjust. For years, he's been _sure_ that he'll become the Rukodaime; this has come as a shock to him. Tsunade decided to retire earlier than any of us hoped, and it caught him at a bad point. I know he's still not ready, not focused, or mature enough to lead our village. I still believe that the world will become a better place when he becomes Hokage, but that time isn't now. And about myself… well _I_ can't change the world, nor would I want to, it's not my place. I didn't become Tsunade's apprentice with the goal to be Hokage one day. That's not me. It's not my nindo. I want to heal and fight and be a ninja, I don't want to push papers around, or scare aids or give out missions and sit in boring meetings. I want to be out there in the fry, kicking ass." She grinned at him and he smiled back, somewhat hesitant.

A sudden surge of nausea hit her and she staggered a bit, but covered it with changing her position to stand beside him and lean her back on the ledge. She's been talking too much, and the hotness in her throat had escalated. She was sure if she looked at her throat in the mirror that it would be angry red and swollen. Gods, she hated getting sick, being unable to simply heal herself drove her crazy, and she wasn't any better a patient than Kakashi. Doctors do tend to be the worst patients; that fact wasn't lost on her.

As if sensing her discomfort, or perhaps smelling the illness on her, Kakashi turned to look at her with an inquisitive look. After a second, he decided that something truly was wrong with her and ventured into asking.

"Sakura, are you alright?"

She gave him a shrewd look, and nodded. That proved not to be the best idea as she everything around her started turning. Blanching and clutching at the ledge behind her, she doubled over and wretched. On an empty stomach. The taste and burning of the digesting fluids she was vomiting worsened the heat in her throat. Gasping for an untainted and cool breath, she felt Kakashi's hand on her back, the other holding her bangs from her face. He was murmuring something she couldn't understand and didn't have the energy to contemplate. Dizzy, unable to breathe properly and with a steadily growing fever, she gave up and once again pitched forward, this time losing conscience. Kakashi caught her just in time. Supporting her around the waist, he lifted her tiny body and looked at her pale, sweaty face. The backs of his fingers ghosted over her forehead and he hissed at the heat emanating from there. She was burning up.

His first thought was the hospital. Then he remembered something Sakura had said when their team had reunited again in order to save Gaara. _"I've spent so much time in that hospital, first learning, then healing, that if I ever fall sick or get hurt I wouldn't want to be there. Ever."_ He knew the feeling, and that was the reason he decided to take her to his apartment, he didn't know where she lived. When she was situated in his bed he'll send Pakkun for Tsunade. With that decision, he was sure that she wouldn't break anything when she woke up.

* * *

**A.N./ **Hi, I'm Julie and I'm a newbie to the Naruto fanfiction writing, and fanfiction writing in general. I wrote before, but I never found the courage to publish anything. That changed when I met my good friend Jasmin Kaiba, who's been urging me on to publish, saying I'm good at this, I'm not so sure. But she gave me the idea for this story and I didn't want to disappoint someone who's encouraged me a lot since I met her. So if you think similar to my editor Jasmin and find this story worth a read, please do drop me line or two, I would really appreciate it. I need to know if I should really become an active member of this site. Thanks, Julie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II - Peace**

Waking up was a bad idea, decided Sakura as her dry eyes ached and itched and refused to open. Her mind was fuzzy and memory didn't serve her at all. She had no idea where she was or what happened. The first could be found out by forcing her eyes open, but that seemed like too much effort at the moment. It didn't smell like the hospital, and the bad she was laying in was soft and comfortable, the comforter atop her was warm and cozy. However, she wasn't at home. Her own sheets smelled of the lavender scented fabric softener she liked the best and her pillow was smaller and harder. The prevailing scent here was sandalwood with a hint of…. Kakashi…

_Kakashi? Where did that come from?_

The same scent always surrounded Kakashi, a heady mix of the forest after rain, the tangy smell of evergreen, something earthy and warm and the unmistakable scent of a male, nothing too strong or disgusting, simply… Kakashi. There was no other way to describe it. She loved that scent; it was familiar and comforting. Just like Naruto always smelled of ramen and industrial soap, Sai's scent was dominated by the sharp smell of ink and oil paint, Tsunade was a curious mix of sake, wildflowers and old dusty books. Those were things she loved and was comforted by, the smell of her family.

Then Kakashi's worried face flashed in her mind. That could have been a dream, but she could almost swear that she'd seen him bent over her in the hazy recollection of waking for a moment from her fever induced dreams.

Steeling her resolve, she forced her sticky lids open and blinked at the dark ceiling in her line of sight. She gathered her bearings for a moment, and then looked around. It was Kakashi's bedroom; she recognized it in an instant. She'd only been there a couple of times, but she knew nobody else owned shuriken printed comforters and dozens of orange books stashed in an overflowing bookcase. On the nightstand to her right was a steaming cup of tea, a tall glass full of water, and two pills on a small piece of paper.

Lastly, her eyes landed on her host. He was sitting in a chair by her bedside, his ever-faithful Icha Icha Paradisu in hand. His charcoal-grey eye was focused on her.

Ignoring the sense of vertigo threatening to throw her back on the bed, she sat up and flashed a small, weak smile in his direction. "And they say chivalry shriveled up and died a long time ago," she joked weakly, her voice barely audible.

His eye creased and she could outline his smirk beneath the mask. "I must be a relict, then," came his smooth reply, laced with just a bit of teasing and heavy with relief, she must have worried him.

"The age would certainly fit," she found it in herself to joke and he chuckled, not bothering to hide how glad he was to see that her spirits were up, even if her body was still weak.

"Now, now, Sakura-chan, I'm not that old, and what happened to the respect?" Kakashi teased, creasing his eye and closing his book.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura croaked and coughed weakly. Falling into banter with Kakashi was always effortless, welcome and easy. Sometimes he was her everything, mentor, colleague, leader, confidant, best friend. The rock she broke against, her strength.

"You used to respect me, remember?" he asked with a pitiful voice and she smiled. This was their favorite game.

"Really? I can't seem to recall something like that. Are you sure you're not confusing yourself with somebody else? A grown man reading porn and hiding his face isn't exactly someone a smart, strong kunoichi should or could respect."

"You hurt my feelings," he mumbled and she could hear the suppressed laugh in his highly amused voice.

"Such a good liar you are. Too bad, it could never fool me. I know you too well."

"That you do," he whispered and handed her the steaming cup of revolting smelling tea. "This will help your throat and the fever. The burning will disappear as soon as the inflammation goes down. You've gotten it pretty bad, Tsunade-sama was angry when she saw what condition you were in."

She nodded and curiously sniffed at the muddy brown liquid. Scrunching her nose in disgust, she stuck her tongue out, but forced herself to drink it. Strong herbal medicine rarely tasted or smelled good. Mostly it was disgusting and smelled of wet dog, like this particular mixture.

Kakashi laughed a bit as her complexion turned green, but she prevailed and drained the cup. Out of morbid curiosity, he'd taken a sip of the mixture after boiling it, and had almost thrown up. Tsunade had warned him that Sakura might protest, but he was to force it down her throat if need be. It was a nasty cold that could end fatally if not treated properly.

Taking the cup from her shaking hand, he handed her the water and pills. "Vitamins and something to help the headache you'll be assaulted by in a few minutes," he said almost cheerfully and she glared half-heartedly but swallowed the pills gratefully and drank the water greedily. She was parched, especially after the medicine from hell.

"So, what happened?" Kakashi asked after a few moments, helping her lay down, and drawing the comforter up to her chest.

She turned her head to look at him and shrugged. "I have no idea. The night before last, I couldn't fall asleep thanks to a slight burning in my throat, but I ignored it and didn't do anything against it. It didn't go away, and it only got worse last night, to the point that I had a feeling my mouth and throat were on fire. I've never been sick, so this is as unexpected for me as it is for you."

His only response was a thoughtful, "Hmmm…" before he turned back to his book. After a few minutes, he lowered the book again and fixed her with an inquisitive look. "Maybe you've been poisoned."

She immediately recognized the lilt in his voice and realized he was joking, but it made her think. "I've been working in the poison ward lately. Shizu-nee is on a mission and I'm covering for her. But we all wear our uniforms there, and they pretty much cover us from head to toe, add to that masks and protection glasses and you can't distinguish male from female, not to mention get yourself poisoned."

"Nothing is impossible, Sakura. Especially in our chosen profession," he chided gently. "You, more than anyone else, should know that poisons can get you in innumerable ways."

"True," she conceded with a slight nod. "Though with my symptoms, it would be something that kills rather slowly and painfully, but can be treated easily if detected in time. Three days is not too late. Let me think."

He stayed silent as she pondered what kinds of poison she'd come in contact the last seventy-two hours. He knew from Genma's stories that Shizune always takes a universal antidote after working in the poison ward. The work there consisted of developing new poisons and study those unknown to them and trying to counter them. Sakura and Shizune were mostly skilled on that area, the pink-haired medic more so than her sempai, thanks to her superior intelligence and book-knowledge. Shizune had more experience, but she needed longer identifying specific not every day types of poison. Sakura was a walking, talking medical journal and thus a lot faster.

That she proved at that moment as she perked up and hit her forehead with her palm. "Shit," she cursed. "The last poison I worked on the day before yesterday. It activates when it is exposed to human skin, it is absorbed in through the pores and enters the blood stream. It's slow and not very effective if not in large quantities. I accidentally spilled a bit of it. It evaporates quickly and forms tiny particles that stick to skin. It probably stuck to the bits of skin not hidden by the mask and glasses."

Kakashi's eyes widened and he stared at her in shock. Typical Sakura, getting poisoned and not even noticing it. So scatter-brained.

She looked at him again with a sheepish expression. "Where's my apron?" she asked and he raised an eyebrow.

"In the living, but you're not going anywhere," he countered and she laughed.

"No, no, I have the antidote there. If you get it for me," she smiled and he sighed. She was going to get herself killed over such an idiotic mistake.

"Sure," he stood up and exited the room. Sakura exhaled and slumped. If Tsunade ever found out about this, she was screwed, her mentor would never let her hear the end of it and probably send her to school again. _Great Sakura_, her Inner leered, annoyed by the clumsiness of her Outer counterpart. _You'll get us killed like that one day._

**Oh, shut up.** Sakura growled mentally and huffed. She really needed to get her bearings together.

Kakashi entered the bedroom then, her apron clinking and rustling in his hands. He handed it to her without a word. After a short search, she found the right vial, attached a needle to it, took off the cap, and jammed it in her arm without as much as a wince. Kakashi on the other hand did cringe and look away; he hated needles with a passion.

After a second Sakura lay back down with a contended sigh. Intrigued he leaned over her. "Better?"

She nodded and smiled up at him. "The antidote starts working immediately. I'll be completely fine within an hour."

* * *

Barely one hour later, she was perky again. The clammy paleness was gone, replaced with her usual healthy, rosy hue. The feverish glow disappeared from her eyes and she breathed without problems again. She was out of bed before he could react, skipping across the room, and straightening his bed cheerfully.

"Sorry about the inconvenience, Kakashi. And thanks for taking care of me," she'd smiled and walked out of the room and said she'd made him dinner as thanks. Before he could protest, she was already rummaging through his cupboards and fridge, humming happily. She'd also threatened, bribed, and blackmailed him against telling her small mistake to Tsunade. He'd given in before he'd actually understood what she was talking about.

Now he sat on the couch and watched her with the pretense of reading porn. She moved silently and swiftly, like expected of any kunoichi, but he also noticed that she walked mostly on the balls of her feet, setting her heels on the ground first when the step was made. That made her movements more graceful than he'd seen from anyone else. She also tended to turn her feet outside when taking a step and that added to the hypnotizing sway of her hips. That infinite grace of her movements was a statement that she was either a ninja or a dancer. However, the latter would be more easily believable given Sakura's exotic coloring, her pale, porcelain skin and slight almost fragile build. Only the sharp intelligence in her eyes and the fact that she could break mountains with her fists belied such a belief.

She turned to him and smiled and he took his eye off her legs and glued it to his book.

"You don't have all that much in here, Kakashi. You don't cook often, do you?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow and he smirked.

"I can't cook, Sakura-chan, at all. The last time I tried the rice cooker blew up and I burned the stove and oven completely. Cooking plus the Copy Ninja equals disaster."

Sakura laughed outright and cocked her hands on her hips. "Nice to know that not even you are good at everything. You seem more human that way." She turned back to his small kitchen and brought out a large pot he didn't know he owned and the new rice cooker he'd bought on a whim, and set them on the coffee table. His kitchen and living area were too small for a dinning table and chairs, not that he needed them. "Get the plates and spoons; I made some curry and rice. Hope you like it hot." She winked and he hastened to the kitchen, fighting the hotness in his face, urging it to go down. That last sentence was much too suggestive for his tastes.

They ate in relative silence, with Sakura occasionally saying something and Kakashi grunting or huffing a replay. She wasn't bothered by it, being used to such behavior from him, Sai, and years ago, Sasuke.

Uchiha Sasuke. She hadn't thought about him for a while. Having gotten over him in the two years Naruto was gone to train, she'd only spared any thought on him when a mission called for it.

She still wished for him to come home, that she didn't love him anymore wasn't equivalent to her not caring for him at all. He was still her teammate, friend, and part of her precious family. One lost brother she had to get back to make Naruto happy. The blond sunshine will never be truly happy before his best friend and rival has returned home.

Shaking off the thoughts of her former teammate, she concentrated on the man next to her, blowing on a spoonful of too hot curry. He was such a paradox, a walking-talking contradiction. Appearing laid-back and relaxed when he was strung as tight as wire, cold and unfeeling when emotions were at boiling point and completely aloof and uninterested when concentration was at its highest peak. She knew that he cared for all of them, maybe not for Sai as much for her and Naruto, but still. He still cared for Sasuke and wanted to have him back as much. Most of all he wanted all of them to be safe and happy. But that was to be expected from the most selfless man in the Five Great Shinobi Nations. He was the one man who never knew any selfishness, when even Naruto had his moments; Kakashi always put others before his own well-being. It was one thing she loved and hated about him.

He would die for any of them, he'd made it painfully clear on that first mission and fight against Haku and Zabuza. That would be fine if he would accept the same sacrifice. But he did not. There was a time a year ago when he'd been badly wounded on a mission; aside from blood-loss, multiple broken bones, and a partially collapsed lung, he'd also over-used his sharingan and his chakra was as good as gone. If she'd had only little chakra less to give, he wouldn't have made it. Afterwards, when she'd woken up, he'd scolded her like never before. She'll never forget what he'd said: "Never do that again! Do you understand, Sakura? Your life is more important than mine!"

She'd slapped him for that and cried. They didn't speak to each other for days before Naruto forced them to talk it out. She understood she really did. He was scared of losing someone else close to him, but he also had to understand that she feared the same. After losing Sasuke she'd become almost obsessive in keeping her teammates and friends close and safe. It was the biggest reason she'd become a medic, so that she'll never lose someone she loved again. And that included him, most especially him, since he tended to go on suicide missions and not be very considerate of his own health. They'd reached a tentative understanding after he'd promised to be more careful. She had the feeling that if it came down to it, he wouldn't keep that promise, and she'll have to break hers, but that was okay, because they also promised to look out for each other and not let it get that far.

Heaving a sigh and blinking her rapidly drooping eyes, Sakura set her plate on the coffee table and folded her hands in her lap. Kakashi continued to eat without paying her any heed, or taking his eye off his own half-full plate. A little bored, very sleepy and in need of _noise_, of any kind, Sakura decided to strike up a conversation.

"Kakashi?" she started quietly and he glanced at her, taking another spoonful of rice and curry. "The first training of Team Seven… You came almost three hours late. I would really like to know why. You know, simply out of curiosity."

He looked at her doubtfully for a second before figuring that it would do no difference if he told her or not. But first… "I decided to race a snail."

For a moment, her jaw dropped and she stared at him with such disbelief that he barely contained his laughter. Then she snapped her mouth closed with an audible 'click' and glared at him with such fire he almost thought she'd slug him first and ask questions later. Luckily, she did not. Weakened or not, her fists were heavy and hurt like hell. Naruto's fear of her was ore than justified.

"And the snail won, or what?" the rage in her voice palpable and he decided to drop the teasing after one last joke.

"Eh… Something like that. Almost. I caught up to it at the last moment."

Sakura took a deep breath and counted to thirty, because God knows that ten or even twenty wasn't enough when it came to this man. Sometimes, she really hated him. Well, almost. She _would_ if it weren't for that insane attraction to him.

"Of course you, Kakashi. Of course you did. Now tell me the truth, please."

He chuckled and shook his head. "There's nothing to tell. I didn't do it on purpose. I visited the monument and then went to read in the Yondaime's ear, I like doing it sometimes. I simply forgot the time. That's all."

Her jaw dropped once again and he knew that he'll never be able to lie at her; she'll always know the truth that he simply had a knack for forgetting things and losing the track of time. But maybe it was for the best. Sakura is, after all, the one person who knew him most. Now she knew even more. And for one it didn't scare him, with Sakura it simply felt right.

Twenty minutes and a cup of tea later, Sakura was sound asleep in his bed and he was drinking a beer and staring out the window. In three weeks, he'll have to move. Behind the Hokage Mountain is a huge house built for the leaders of the village. The Second Hokage had built it with his two hands for his brother, the First Hokage. Kakashi had been in that house often when Minato-sensei had been alive and reigning as the Fourth Hokage. Now he would have to live in that house as well. He didn't know if he could.

Heaving a sigh, he stood from his chair and wandered to the bedroom. For a few minutes, he stood in the doorframe and looked at the peaceful girl bundled up in his sheets. Such a big heart in such a small, beautiful female. He'd never known someone like her. Not even Rin measured up. Sakura is prettier, smarter, more spirited, stronger physically and mentally, and she'd managed to snag his heavily protected heart and she wasn't letting go. He didn't want her too. This girl is someone he could love someday. And that day was getting more near with each moment he spent with her.

Shaking his head at the ridiculous thought process, he chuckled and entered the room. Searching for reading material in his expansive collection, he decided that if she stopped by from time to time, than maybe, just maybe he could bear living in that big house.

It never occurred to him that in less than twenty-four hours their peaceful world would shatter and that he may never see the girl he almost loved again.

* * *

**A.N./ **The second chapter, wow. It almost didn't get done on time. I was sick, still am, damned flu. But here it is. The next chapter is the beginning of the first arc of the story. The drama starts there. I hope you like this as well and will stay tuned for chapter No.3.

Thank you very much for your wonderful reviews, I loved them.

Also thanks to **Jasmin Kaiba **who edited this and is strengthening my back every time I get insecure.

Anyway, I hope you'll review this chapter as well.

Thank you,

Julie


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III – Shattered Hearts**

Sakura had woken in Kakashi's bed that morning. She'd gotten up and gone out in the living room, found his fast asleep on the couch, an Icha Icha book on his chest, fully dressed, without a pillow or blanket. He probably did that often, falling asleep like that.

Unwilling to wake him before dawn again, she'd wandered to the bathroom and taken a shower before making tea. The man didn't have coffee in his house. Blasphemy. He'd woken up to her clattering around the kitchen. After tea, she warned him about telling Tsunade of the poison and left his apartment for her own where she'd changed for work and eaten breakfast. The rest of the morning, she'd spent at work, back to her regular shift in the ER since Shizune had also returned from her mission the previous day.

Everything had been normal, almost too normal. Well, aside from the strange feeling in Sakura's gut. She had chalked it up to spending so much time with Kakashi and gotten on with her duties.

At noon, all hell broke loose.

* * *

Suddenly, in one piercing moment, the world came almost to an end.

An agonized scream tore from Sakura's mouth as her knees rose from the ground, body full intent on moving, running, but half her heart and half her brain told her to stop and stay. She felt torn in half, ripped apart by the seams as her cold fingers clutched Tsunade's shoulders in a death grip and terrified greens looked helplessly on as Kakashi went sailing through the air and crashed into a wall, slumping on the ground, unmoving.

The man who'd kicked him, one of Pein's bodies, stood a few feet away no expression at all on his face, just staring at Kakashi, as if daring the Copy Ninja to stand back up and attack him again. But the sliver-haired man lay motionless, both eyes closed, mouth scrunched up in pain, and Sakura's medical mind screamed that he would never stand again if she doesn't help him now.

Nevertheless, she still couldn't move, she could only watch, completely helpless and halfway disgusted with herself. How many times has Tsunade drilled into her to leave her emotions off the battlefield? That a medic is useless if their sense of duty is hindered by their emotions? Yet Sakura simply couldn't abandon her mentor and Hokage, her mother, just like that, she felt as if her heart would shatter completely if she did it and lost Tsunade.

_But what if you lose Kakashi?_ Inner Sakura whispered, just as torn as her mental roommate, but the majority of her fear centered on Kakashi.

"Kakashi..." Sakura whispered, her voice breaking as tears sprung up in her eyes, the heart of the loving, adoring daughter and the heart of a girl hopelessly and completely in love warring against each other, both equally strong.

Then Pein's body moved again, slowly, his eyes trained on the Copy Ninja, intent of finishing his helpless opponent off. That almost did it for Sakura, and she started slipping Tsunade off her lap as a black shadow flew over her and something collided with the approaching enemy. Whipping her head in the direction, she saw a black and white lion-like creature wrestling with puppet of flesh and blood. And there was Sai, brush and scroll in hands as he drew more and more ink creatures, keeping the body busy.

When twenty lions surrounded Kakashi's former opponent, Sai seemed satisfied and turned his dark gaze to her. The black depth of his eyes seemed almost accusing of her. "What are you waiting for, Sakura? Why aren't you helping Kakashi?"

Unable to look into those endless black depths, she lowered her eyes to Tsunade's pale features and trembled. "But, shishou... I can't just leave her..."

As if on cue, the frail body in her embrace shifted and dim, pained amber eyes looked at tear-filled emeralds. "It's okay, Sakura," the blond Hokage whispered weakly. "Go on, tend to him. I'll be alright."

Still uncertain but somewhat glad that Tsunade was stubborn enough to send her away, Sakura slowly stood, keeping a wary eye on the body fighting the painted lions off, and moved to Kakashi. At first glance, Kakashi looked unharmed, as if his only injury was the hit on the head from the collision with the concrete wall. However, she knew better. If there was one thing that the Copy Ninja was in battle than it was reckless. Almost unthinkable from the always cool and composed resident pervert of Konoha, but when things tended to get out of hand and when an opponent was over-powering him, Kakashi often threw caution to the wind and drained himself, overusing the sharingan. Somehow, this seemed like a déjà-vu… But she shook it off and concentrated on the injuries she had to heal.

Taking a deep breath she pushed her chakra into his body, assessing the damage and grimacing, he'd sustained more injury than she'd originally thought. He had a sound concussion, a shattered shoulder blade, three fractured ribs, a partially collapsed lung, broken collarbone and not to mention the massive chakra-drain from the sharingan. Said eye was bleeding slowly from beneath the scarred lid. He has finally managed to almost destroy himself.

Steeling herself against the panic of seeing him like that she concentrated all her chakra reserves in her hands and pressed them to his chest, beginning the long and tedious healing process. She mended his ribs first, followed by the lung, then the shoulder and collarbone, when he could breathe more easily; she healed the wound on the back of his head and started working on his eye. She cleared the chakra clogging the optic nerves, stopping the bleeding and eased the doubtlessly killing headache he'd acquired. When his grimace of pain disappeared, she breathed easier and went to fill his pathways with her chakra. But she couldn't. She'd been fighting alongside her shishou for the majority of the day and had spent a lot of chakra when Tsunade had collapsed, trying to heal the older woman enough so that she didn't have to use her Creation Rebirth, as it would only drain her more. And now after healing the extensive injury on Kakashi she was almost drained herself. She only had a small bit of chakra left, nowhere near enough to stimulate Kakashi's own flow to become faster.

Knowing what she had to do if she wanted Kakashi to live, she forced herself not to think of the scolding she was going to get from both the Copy Ninja and Tsunade and forced her last bit of energy towards her forehead. Making the three seals necessary, she concentrated and activated the seal on her forehead. Her chakra glowed blue and formed a diamond on her skin, identical to the one on Tsunade's face. Her own version of the Creation Rebirth worked similar to Tsunade's, yet differently. Less dangerous for the body, but draining all the same. However, she'd had the Hidden Seal for three years and had not once used it, there must be enough chakra in there to heal the whole village, she'd stored daily as much as she could.

Exhaling loudly she pushed the seal completely open and grimaced; it was a painful process. Concentrating she formed the tiger seal, and two incarnate designs started glowing just below her shoulders, the horse followed and activated the next set of chakra seals, on her elbows, the rat opened the ones on her wrists. By then the pain had vanished and she felt herself thrumming with energy. Only six of the twelve seals were open and she felt she could punch all of Pein's bodies into outer space if he got too close to her. Calming the exhilarating feel of power she formed the bird and set off the seals on her thighs, with the monkey she activated the ones on her knees and finally the dog completed the process with seals around her ankles.

Black markings shot out of the seal on her forehead and spread over her cheeks and neck, her eyes glowed even greener with the chakra flow and her hair stood almost on ends. She radiated energy and power.

But it wouldn't last long, Creation Rebirth boosted her chakra levels and gave her more power than humanly possible for about twenty minutes, before it drained completely from her body and left her healed but utterly exhausted. Setting to work immediately she pushed as much chakra as Kakashi's body could handle into his flow and watched with enhanced eyes as it began to flow and rebuild the cells he'd lost, stimulating his pathways and soon his own chakra started flowing again. He was out of life danger.

Knowing that the power would leave her sooner rather than later, Sakura jumped up and went straight for Pein's body, engaged in a bloody fight with Sai. Bypassing the artist as he went flying, she drew chakra to her fist and lunged. _One solid hit,_ Inner Sakura muttered as she flew directly into the body's personal space and struck before it had the time to react. Her fist made contact with the body's chin and she heard the satisfying cracks as she broke his entire face apart and this time it was the enemy that took a flight. He crashed into the dead form of the large summoned creature she and Tsunade had taken down earlier and didn't stand up again. He wouldn't, ever.

Drawing a deep breath, she run to Sai and healed the largest of his injuries as fast as possible before hastening to Tsunade again and pouring the rest of her chakra into her mentor. She only needed to stabilize her and Tsunade's body would heal with time. A medic's self-healing abilities were remarkable, even without a jutsu like Creation Rebirth.

A few minutes later, fatigue set in and she felt the chakra draining from her body, her system slowly shutting down as it prepared for restoration. The only conscious thought, before deep sleep claimed her was, _Please be okay, Naruto._

Sakura woke up feeling disoriented and groggy, and for a while simply lay there staring at the ceiling. Then it dawned on her that she'd passed out on the street, between the broken remains of the Hokage Tower and the hospital.

Gathering her strength, she blinked a few times, to stave off the beginning of nausea and sat up slowly, careful not to strain her aching muscles too much. When she could concentrate on something else beside her burning limbs and the horrible headache beating against her temples, she looked around and realized that she was lying in what looked like a huge tent.

Beds and small tables lined up throughout the space and she saw that most were occupied, figuring this was a medical tent set up, seeing as their hospital was only a pile of rubble.

Movement to her right caught her attention and she turned, seeing Kakashi on the bed beside hers, propped up against two pillows, reading his book. _'Well, some things never change,'_ she thought dryly, but then smiled, _'and they never should.'_

Kakashi lifted his gaze from the text and met her slightly disoriented greens with somber mismatched eyes. The happy curve in them and the small smile she hinted beneath his mask belied his mood.

"Yo," he greeted her amiably and she smiled wider, glad that he seemed alright.

"Hey," she croaked before coughing and taking a plastic cup of water he'd grabbed from the table between them. How long had she been out?

She drank the cup empty before giving a happy sigh and returning it to its previous place. Kakashi chuckled softly. "Better?" was his amused question as she leaned back comfortably.

"Much," she supplied, looking at him again. He looked tired, haggard, and above all sad. "What's wrong, Kaka-sensei?" she teased, attempting to brighten his mood. "If we're here and not dead, I assume we won. So, why so gloomy?"

He regarded her solemnly for a long moment, before giving a soft sigh and staring ahead, his eyes glazed.

"We did win," he finally said. "But at the price of a destroyed village, our Hokage out of commission and most of our military force laying in this same tent. Some injured beyond healing. I'm not sure if it's worth it."

"Hmm..." she murmured, not feeling up to arguing with him over the topic. In her books, a win was always better than a loss. But if only the half of the winners was alive, their leader out of the picture and their home almost destroyed, maybe, just maybe, victory really wasn't worth the losses.

Then something far more important came to mind and she gasped, looking around the tent frantically. She noticed Kakashi giving her a strange look, but paid it no heed, there were things that outweighed everything on her mind, and the first thing on that short list was the welfare of her teammates, especially Naruto.

"Naruto! Where's Naruto!" she managed through the panicked breaths and felt a large, warm hand squeeze her shoulder comfortingly.

"Calm down, Sakura. Naruto is alright. Like he'd let Pein and his puppet army kill him."

Damn that man and his playing everything down.

"What the hell, Kakashi! This is no joking matter! Pein is likely the most powerful shinobi in the world. He has the rinnegan, and the rinnegan is the ultimate doujutsu. It tops the byakugan, it tops the sharingan, it tops everything! And those bodies were no puppets! I know what puppets are like, I have fought the master of those things, and even Sasori's most powerful human puppet pales horribly in comparison to the incarnation of the Six Paths of Pain! I don't know about you, but I've done my homework and know what Pein is capable of! Look what that puppet did to you!"

It was a good thing for Kakashi that she didn't have her strength back fully and that she needed her chakra to control the pain coursing through her limbs and head or he would be meeting her fist up close and personal, followed by a free flight across the village, courtesy to her monstrous power. And he knew it.

"Sakura, I know. Believe me, I know. That had been the strongest opponent I've ever faced, and it wasn't even the main body. I know that I'm lucky to be alive – though I should thank you for that. Nevertheless, Naruto got him; he beat Pein. The rinnegan might top every other doujutsu in the world, but it can never top Naruto's endless optimism and his belief. Pein is dead and Naruto is outside, helping the rebuilding team. He was here, by your bedside until two minutes before you woke up. You know that the Kyuubi won't let him get to harm or be killed."

Of course, she knew, but she also knew that the Kyuubi would one day be the end of Naruto if he didn't learn to suppress the chakra completely. The damage it did to his body every time it got free would one day be too much for even Sakura or Tsunade to heal completely.

Still, Kakashi didn't deserve her yelling at him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, glancing down at the sheet covering her. "I shouldn't be screaming at you, I'm just so angry and frustrated..."

She didn't look up and couldn't see his nod, so he spoke, "I know, Sakura. Don't worry about it. I know you don't mean it. You, at least, have always respected me, thus you were my favorite."

She smiled at his mild joke and looked at him. He gave a small wave and an eye-crinkling smile. She chuckled. "That's hypocritical and you know it. But, yes, I've always respected, admired, and looked up to you. You were always the best and coolest ninja I've ever seen."

He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Stop, you're making me blush. But I think you've just confused me with Sasuke-kun."

Sakura looked him straight in the eye with a serious expression and shook her head one. "No. I've admired Sasuke for his good looks and the fact that he was the top of our academy class and I've wanted his attention, 'cause I thought that it would make me seem more important. Of course, I've come to genuinely care for him when we became teammates, but I've also seen all his faults and shortcomings, I've just decided to ignore them in favor of the things that were good about him. But you... Since the moment I've met you to this day, you've been the one person who was infallible in my eyes, even compared to Tsunade-shishou, even with your unhealthy addiction to literary porn. I guess first impressions do count for something."

She'd averted her gaze and hadn't seen his eyes widening, or the nervous gulp as he regarded her flushed face with anxious interest. Not able to process his thoughts completely, Kakashi gave a small nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head, where usually the knot of his hitai-ate was.

"Now you're just plain out flattering me," he muttered and struggled to keep his laughing face, but failed when she suddenly lost the blush and fixed almost suspicious emeralds on him. Then she laughed.

"You're right. I wouldn't want to inflate your ego anymore than it already is, you may not pass through a door otherwise."

And it was easier to breathe and he could look her in the eyes without being afraid of what he might read there.

Just as he was about to say something, Shizune neared and sat down on the edge of Sakura's bed. She looked tired, dead on her feet, pale, with shadowed eyes and slightly shaking hands, messy hair and tearstains on her cheeks. She tried to smile for Sakura, but it turned into a painful grimace and the pink-haired medic's delicate features set in a worried scowl. She sat up a bit more and took Shizune's cold, moist hand.

"Shizu-nee, you okay?" seeing and hearing the real concern in the younger woman's voice, Shizune managed a real smile a nodded her head a bit, squeezing Sakura's hand.

"Just tired, Sakura. A lot has happened in the last few days. You were out and I had to do all the healing, I'm just exhausted."

Sakura regarded her with a penetrating gaze before sighing and looking down. "I can imagine. But, Shizu-nee, how is shishou? Is she alright?"

To Sakura's relief a smile lit on Shizune's face and she bobbed her head up and down almost happily. "Yes, she's fine. Drained and exhausted, but fine. Thanks to you. But Genma..." she trailed off and Sakura grasped her hand tighter, encouraging her to look up.

"Is there anything I can do for him? Just tell me, I'm alright now."

Shizune shook her head and tears rolled down her cheek; Sakura gulped and felt her heart jump in nervous anxiousness.

"He died this morning... I've tried everything, but he's lost too much blood... I wasn't able to help him... I failed him..."

"You can't think like that, Shizu-nee!" Sakura exclaimed earnestly, looking unflinchingly into the older woman's dark, sad eyes. "You didn't fail Genma-san! You did what you could. None of us are miracle-workers; we're humans too. Even if we are the best medics there are, we can't heal everyone, shishou will be the first to attest to that. Besides Genma-san wouldn't want you to talk like that. I'm sure he's only sad that he can't be with you anymore, but you have to believe that he's in a better place now, Shizu-nee."

Shizune smiled a bit and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You're so sweet, Sakura. But you're right. I should focus on what's in front of me and be grateful that I got the chance to say goodbye, many people don't even have that, sometimes. Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Shizu-nee," Sakura smiled encouragingly. "But tell me, how are the others, what's with the village?"

The older medic took a deep breath and tried to stay composed. "Well, it was a huge fight, and we sustained losses, but that's natural. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that your team is okay so far." Sakura nodded, happy and relieved. "Sai and Yamato-san were hurt, but nothing bad. Sai had a head-injury, but no concussion and a broken arm. Yamato-san suffered a few fractured ribs, but that's about it, besides a few scarps and gashes. Naruto is fully okay. I guess the Kyuubi's chakra protected him from anything worse then a few scarps here and there."

"Protecting him is optional, I'd say," Sakura cut in, a scowl on his face. "It does him more damage than good, but at least he didn't black out, so I suppose that he hasn't spurted more than one tail?"

At this Shizune shrugged and looked at Kakashi. The Copy Ninja had his face buried in a book, but he'd been listening and when he felt eyes on him, he sighed and put the book in his lap, turning to look Sakura in the eye.

"Well, at first he fought Pein all on his own, but then things started to get worse. I was with him at that time, but was busy fighting Pein's partner, the blue-haired woman. Suddenly, Pein said something and got Naruto angry, he lost control of the fox, and chakra began leaking. He spurted two tails immediately, but I couldn't stop him, my opponent wouldn't let me. Pein taunted him further and he started forming the third tail. That's when Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee jumped in, attacking Pein, but he just swatted them away. That got Naruto even angrier and he spurted two more tails. Pein must have sensed the danger and sent his partner away. I tried to get to Naruto but was detained by one of Pein's bodies. By the time Tenzou had gotten there, Naruto had spurted seven tails and was rampaging, attacking Pein, but destroying everything around himself as well. Somehow, Naruto seemed to calm down, and the tails started detracting and disappeared completely. Naruto had suppressed the Kyuubi's chakra on his own, and defeated Pein after that. Sai told me that. I was out before he'd spurted the fourth tail. When I woke up, you were laying over Tsunade-sama, both of you unconscious and Shizune was tending to Sai, not far from me."

"He suppressed the Kyuubi's chakra on his own?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi nodded and Sakura gaped even more. _Wow_, her mental counterpart managed to stutter out, _Naruto is even greater than we thought. That's some cool crap he pulled of there._ The Outer Sakura could only agree wholeheartedly. **I knew that he is able to always astound us, it IS Naruto after all, but to suppress the Kyuubi just like that…** she trailed off with a soft, amazed sigh.

Shizune was about to say something when a clattering at the deeper end of the tent caught their attention. Ino stumbled through the curtain that separated the Hokage's bed from the rest of the tent, pale and with a shocked expression on her face. She spotted Shizune at Sakura's bed and hurried to them, shouting, "Shizune-san, Sakura! Hurry! Come help!"

Both kunoichi jumped up, confused, but the blond was already speaking again. "It's Tsunade-sama! She suddenly stopped breathing!"

Dread flooded through Sakura as she jumped over Kakashi's bed and run to her frantic friend. "Shishou!" she breathed, willing her heart to calm and her breathing to slow, it would do none of them any good if she passed out before even getting to Tsunade.

Ripping the linen curtain away, Sakura fell to her knees by her mentor's bed and instantly directed chakra to her hands, bringing them to Tsunade's neck.

Nothing. No heart beat. No breath. Nothing. Tsunade's body was an empty shell.

Sakura's hands shook as she lifted them from her mother's lifeless form; tears clouded her vision as she stared at the pale, wrinkled, beloved face that had become so familiar and dear to her.

"Shishou?" she whispered brokenly, touching Tsunade's cold brow with trembling fingers. No reply came. Not even a twitch. "Shishou?" she tried louder, beginning to shake uncontrollably. When her mentor still didn't react, desperation seized her and she took hold of Tsunade's shoulders, shaking the old woman slightly. "Shishou, wake up!"

Her pained cry stabbed through those gathered around the Hokage. At the other side of Tsunade's bed Shizune emitted a small sob and covered her mouth with her hand, staring at her younger fellow apprentice. Sakura was deadly pale, her green eyes frantic and unfocused, as she continued calling for Tsunade as if willing the woman back to life with her desperate cries.

Ino collapsed to her knees, digging her fingers into the ground, shaking and crying. Kakashi tightened his hands into fists until his knuckled whitened and dropped his gaze to his feet, he couldn't watch this. Sai, who'd been the one closest to the exit run out on unsteady feet, in search for Naruto, but he truly had no idea how to break this news to his teammate.

"Stop," Shizune croaked, taking Sakura's hands in her own. "Stop, Sakura-chan. She's dead."

The younger kunoichi jolted as if electrified. "No! She can't be dead! No! Wake up, shishou!"

"She'd dead!" Shizune shouted and willed Sakura to look at her.

She didn't. She wrenched her hands free and fisted them on Tsunade's robes, completely absorbed in her grief, and unwilling to accept the bitter truth. "No! No no no no no no no no no! NO! Shishou! Nooo!"

Unable to watch any longer, Kakashi kneeled behind the sobbing kunoichi and wrapped his arms around her waist, hauling her into her and away from Tsunade's motionless form. "Sakura, calm down!" he whispered harshly in her ear, but she only struggled against him.

"No! Let me go! Let me go!"

He tightened his hold around her and slowly stood up, mindful of her kicking legs. "Sakura, listen to me! You've got to calm down!"

When she continued trashing in his arms, he lifted her higher and shifted his hold until he was carrying her bridal-style.

She started beating against his chest and struggled even harder. But he didn't let go and proceeded to carry her outside. That seemed to worsen her panic.

"No! Let me down! Don't take me away! Shishou! Let me down, Kakashi! I hate you! Let me down! Let me down! _Let me down, goddamn you!_"

"You can hate me later all you want. Now you need to get out of here, Sakura." He whispered to her writhing form and walked by Naruto who run past them blindly and disappeared behind the curtain. A second later, his anguished exclamation shocked Sakura into silence and rattled the broken village.

But the biggest loss has yet to come.

* * *

**A.N./ **And this is chapter three. The drama part is officially starting. This was incredibly hard to write. Tsunade is one my favorite characters there are and since I like to look at her and Sakura's relationship like that of mother and daughter, it made this even harder. I have a very deep bond with my own mother and the mere thought of losing her is giving me chills, though I know that it will happen someday. So let's just say that I know very well what Sakura is going through right now.

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter that you will drop me a few lines and comment on it.

Julie


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV – Unlock the Gates of Hell**

The late November sun was high in the sky and belied the cold air circulating around the remains of Konoha.

Sakura lay once again in Kakashi's bed and stared out the window. The building which housed Kakashi's apartment had been one of the very few that have lived through Pein's attack. The house of her parents was totally obliterated like every other building in the neighborhood, including the Yamanaka's Flower Shop. Luckily, it had been empty. Some others had not been so happy, buried alive under the walls of their own homes.

The shock of Tsunade's death has lessened over the night, the denial had vanished, and the iron hand of grief gripped her heart. She would never see her beloved mother again. It was a fact she'll probably never learn to live with. How she wanted to forget everything and simply live this dream that everything was alright and that waking in Kakashi's bed was a luxury she could indulge in every day.

But the reality was as stark as the sunlight streaming through the windows.

What is going to happen now? With Konoha, with their lives? Can they stand back up, dust themselves off, and continue as if nothing happened? Or is this the end of the strongest of the Five Great Nations?

She didn't have an answer for that. Maybe, she didn't want to have an answer for that. With Tsunade's death she'd lost a part of herself, something she wasn't sure will ever be coming back.

With a sigh, she turned her head away from the window. The sunlight was hurting her tear-swollen eyes and she was seeing bright spots everywhere she looked. It was better than the destruction all around her. Every collapsed building, every upturned stone, every crack in the walls, was a crack in her heart. Her beloved Konoha, will it be there tomorrow, or will it crumble under the pressure?

The door sliding open interrupted her dark thoughts and she lifted her head to look at Kakashi, dirty and battered, but _alive_, come into the room with a slight smile. She didn't smile back, she couldn't.

"I wasn't sure if you were awake," he murmured as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Not finding the energy to actually answer him, she simply shrugged. It conveyed her message. She wasn't sure if she wanted to ever wake up again.

He raked a hand through his messy hair and looked at her with a dark, pained eye, unsure what to tell her, or how to reassure her. That look went to her heart, but she squished the tiny voice telling her that this was Kakashi and that Kakashi made everything alright. That was the voice of her twelve-year-old self. Now she was grown up, now she knew that not even Kakashi was almighty. Not even he can make everything work out. That knowledge hurt almost as much as Tsunade's loss. It meant she'd finally been stripped of the rest of her innocence.

How daunting.

"Sakura," he started softly, unaware of her inner conflict. "I know how you feel, believe me, I do. I know how much it hurts. But you have to let go. Killing yourself over it won't bring Tsunade-sama back. She wouldn't want you to be like this, she'd want you to be strong and have faith."

She lifted her eyes to his and smiled bitterly. This time she forced the words out of her throat. "Maybe," she whispered. "But she wouldn't have any right telling me that seeing as she never let go of Dan or her little brother. She killed herself over it until the very last second. What's stopping me from doing the same?"

Kakashi didn't lose the beat and immediately answered, "The same that eventually stopped her. The other people in her life who loved and needed her, Jiraiya-sama, Shizune, and then you and Naruto. And Konoha when it needed her the most. The people in your life can't let you lose yourself Sakura. Think about Naruto and how much you love him and vice versa, about Sai and Tenzou, Shizune, your friend Ino, and all your other friends, Sasuke who's waiting for his teammates to bring him back home. And I'm there too, I won't let you just slip away."

His words and the look in his eye warmed her to the core and her heart beat faster. He said he needed her. _He_ needed _her_. He _needed_ her. _He needed her!_

Well, he didn't say it in so many words, but it translated into that meaning.

Oh, how she wanted to tell him that she needed him as well, so so much that it hurt to even think about it. But she couldn't. It wasn't the right time or the right place. Someday, she would tell him, when the time was right, when they didn't have a nearly destroyed village and injured companions and dead leaders to worry about. She would tell him when peace returned to Konoha once more.

She didn't know just then, that it might take years, because the real problems have just started outside the sunlit window of Kakashi's small apartment.

* * *

Three days later, the first day of December, the funeral was held for all those who fell during the attack. Every survivor, civilian and shinobi alike was present to say goodbye to the heroes who gave their lives for Konoha.

Clad all in black, under the cold December sun six shinobi carried their Hokage to her final resting place. On the sides to the first two carriers, Kakashi and Naruto, stood Tsunade's two daughters, their heads bowed, but holding tears at bay. Shizune, because she knew that if she started crying she would break down completely and Sakura because she knew that the eyes of the village were on her, Tsunade's protégé and the one person who resembled their beloved Hokage the most. Kakashi had told her of talks to make her the Rukodaime Hokage to give the battered village a sense of security.

It was a false sense of security at best, she knew. She wasn't Tsunade and even if it were possible for her to be exactly like her master, she knew that she wouldn't be the leader those people needed at the moment. She wasn't strong enough. She would break under the pressure.

It fell on her to eulogize her mother.

She managed two and a half sentences before choking on the words she'd written down carefully the night before and falling to her knees in front of the casket. Kakashi was instantly by her side, enveloping her in his strong arms and helping her stand even as Shizune took the paper from her hands and read the rest in a choked and broken voice. It was more than Sakura could muster.

The last sentence she found the strength to say herself, "From this day onward care for me as you did in life, look over the people you loved and the village you protected with your dying breath and I promise to honor you until I join you. I love you, mentor, Hokage, _mother_; from the day we met to the day I take my last breath in this world."

No eye stayed dry and the sky opened up to weep icy tears with the people below.

* * *

Pacing the length of Kakashi's living room and cursing the fates for missing the jonin exams three months ago, Sakura grit her teeth and could only hope that the Jonin Council would choose the right person for the next Hokage. If they chose her, she would have to beat them back to their senses. She was NOT Tsunade for god's sake! It wasn't her place to take, or something she wanted and Kakashi would do well to inform the rest of the Council of it.

Calming herself with a few deep breaths, she started to rationalize with her fuming inner self. Kakashi was far from stupid and even if he knew she was bluffing when she threatened to turn his insides on the outside if he did something stupid, he would still realize that the position of Hokage did not belong to someone so young, so impulsive, and temperamental like herself. Konoha needed a levelheaded leader right now, and her own head was far from leveled at the moment. Or ever, really, considering that she even had an inner self to rationalize with. Kakashi knows that, and even if he did not, Shikaku sure did, the Jonin Hancho would be thinking of the welfare of Konoha and not the wishes of those wanting to see Tsunade back on the Hokage mantle.

A loud bang interrupted her mid-stride and she briskly walked out to the hallway and stared at a hunched over Kakashi as he repeatedly banged his fist against the wall.

How peculiar.

"Kakashi?" she started hesitantly, not knowing what was with him, or how to react to such odd behavior. "Is everything okay?"

He lifted his head where he'd leaned it on his fist and met her curios and slightly worried greens. He really had no idea how he was going to tell her this.

"No, I can't say that everything's alright, because right now nothing is alright and things are only going to get worse."

"What?" she breathed out, now getting a bit scared. "What happened at the Council meeting?"

His lips twisted in an ironic smirk beneath his mask as he wondered what he'd done wrong to be damned to watch her heart break once again. _She'll break like this_, he thought bitterly before sighing and straightening, taking a step forward and grasping her shoulders. How he hated Akatsuki and Pein.

"There had been no meeting," he ground out. "Just as we assembled, Nara Shikaku stood up and took word. The Daimyo came yesterday, right after the funeral; he'd been informed of our situation and hastened to _help_ us," he spat out the word as if it burned him. "He chose the new Hokage; we didn't get a chance to vote."

Her eyes widened, then narrowed as stood straighter and gripped his arms. "Why weren't Shizune and I informed? We've been leading the office since Tsunade-shishou…" she trailed off and he started speaking again.

"Because we've been linked! Nobody outside the Elder Council knew of the Daimyo's arrival. They invited him to help us choose a new Hokage! Only we never got to choose!"

She took a step away from him, putting a hand to her forehead and walking back to the living room, he followed behind her, muttering something under his breath.

Taking a seat on the couch, Sakura started processing the new information. Not that she was that surprised. She'd almost expected something like that when Homura and Koharu had come to her before the funeral, asking her to hand them the list of the candidates for the Hokage position. She'd refused, telling them straight out that Kakashi was going to be Hokage, by the voting of the Jonin Council. She should have known that the old assholes would pull something like that!

"And who is our Hokage?" she asked with deceptive calm, praying to whatever god she could think of not to let it be worse than it already was.

And one word, one name she hated almost as much as she hated Akatsuki, sent that prayer to hell in a hand basket.

"Danzou."

"Danzou?" she shrieked, jumping up from her seat with wide, shock-filled eyes.

Kakashi nodded solemnly, having given almost the same reaction an hour ago when Shikaku had broken the news to them. Danzou. The worst possible choice for the Hokage. The Daimyo had been as linked as the Konoha shinobi. The old man couldn't have known that no sane ninja would have wanted _Danzou_ as their new Hokage. Not when all knew how the Third had done away with the betrayer. And Danzou was nothing else but a betrayer.

"Why would the Daimyo name Danzou as Hokage?" Sakura screamed in outraged shock and Kakashi run a frustrated hand down his face.

"Because the old bastard had presented himself as the best choice. As the only choice! The aid who'd been present at the meeting told us everything. The Elders have essentially told the Daimyo that there were no shinobi on active duty who could become our leader. They'd told him that a few of the choices of the Jonin Council were so inadequate that they had to ask for his counsel."

"What did they say?" she whispered when he didn't elaborate.

He took a deep breath and continued. He hoped that she would be more angry than heartbroken; he could deal with her rage.

"They told him that Naruto was too young, too wild and the Kyuubi jinchuriki; that you weren't stable enough, whatever that means; that I wasn't serious or qualified enough for the position and bunch of other bullshit. Of course, Danzou sang himself a praise so revolting that I want to throw up only thinking about it! They basically told the Daimyo that Konoha had no shinobi that was better or smarter than Danzou, and he believed them!"

Sakura jumped up with a mighty scream and promptly smashed his coffee table in pieces with her hand. "That fucking, deceiving, old _motherfucker_! I'm going to smash his face in, tear his limb from limb, and show that stuck up Daimyo his fucking Hokage! We _do not_ need _him_ to choose our leader! Everyone is better than Danzou! Gods, even Gai-sensei is better than Danzou!"

Kakashi was torn between amusement at her screaming fit and relief that she was enraged rather than grieving. He himself was having a hard time deciding whether to destroy something. However, when she started towards the door he snapped out of it. "Where are you going?"

She turned and glared at him. A perfected Uchiha Sasuke death-glare. Great. He knew she'd spent too much time around the last Uchiha as a kid; he'd rubbed off on her more than Kakashi was willing to accept.

"To kill Danzou, where else?" she retorted as if it she was going out for a stroll. "So many people have died in the attack. What's a traitorous, pompous, good-for-noting jackass more? I'd rather see him dead and myself in jail that to be free with him as Hokage. "

"That's a given," Kakashi sighed and sat down. "But you can't kill him. We both know that. Not to mention that Konoha needs you now more than ever, you'll never get through all his Root agents alone. The bastard knew what he was doing. If he thought that anyone could just come up and kill him, he wouldn't have done what he did. It would have been suicide."

"Fucking God almighty! I always knew there was a deeper reason why I never could stand even looking at him. What a creepy bastard!"

* * *

"When I said, I didn't regret not taking the jonin exams three months ago, I never even imagined that I might not ever get another chance," mumbled Sakura absentmindedly as she sat between Ino and Naruto in the spacious backroom of the Akimichi's restaurant with half a dozen Konoha shinobi around them.

Things had gotten out of hand pretty fast when Danzou had introduced himself as the Rukodaime. Even some civilians have joined the shinobi protests. The old fool had turned a blind eye and deaf ear on the shouts of disgruntled ninja demanding a Rukodaime of their own choosing in the place of the unwanted imposter. He wasn't a leader, he was a dictator, Shizune had whispered to Sakura when Root agents had swarmed the destroyed market place to quell the protests.

Apparently most jonin, half the chuunin, some genin and even ANBU saw it the same way and had turned to the people closest to their deceased Hokage, her two apprentices. Sakura had taken everything into her own hands and organized this meeting, inviting about a tenth of shinobi who were ready to storm the newly reconstructed Hokage Tower and kill the self-imposed 'Head of the village' as the warmonger called himself.

Disgusting.

By her right, Ino nodded solemnly before taking a deep breath. "I probably wouldn't have passed anyway, but still, as a chuunin we have no rights whatsoever. The jonin and ANBU can at least protest and simply refuse to work for that old fart, but we can't do anything."

Across from her, leaned against a three-legged table, Tenten ceased twirling the kunai around her finger and grunted. "Neji told me yesterday, after that disastrous announcement, that his uncle feared what will become of Hinata and Hanabi under Danzou's regime. Apparently, the slimy bastard has the belief that kunoichi were only good as medics or for seduction missions, he doesn't even see us as equal parts of the society. He still clings to the old 'women are inferior to men' ways."

Astonished protest filled the room, equal parts from male and female alike. Everyone in that room knew just how vital kunoichi were to society and what they were capable of. A kunoichi like Sakura would, of course, always ace through a seduction mission, Ino too, but the pinkette was made for the battlefield with her strength and intelligence and was the perfect field medic. The blonde was an adequate medic, but as the apprentice of Morino Ibiki, she belonged into the interrogation squad. Tenten's talents would be wasted anywhere that wasn't an open fight and everyone knew it. The only question was how to prevent Danzou from setting their society up side down and possibly destroying the village beyond repair.

"This is beyond ridiculous!" complained Raidou from his seat by Shizune. "Which Konoha shinobi in their right mind would want _Danzou_ to lead us?"

Murmurs of approval filled the room as Naruto lifted his hanging head and sighed, raking a hand through his blond mess of hair. "Root and the Elders, that's who."

"I said 'in their right mind', Naruto. I think all of us can agree that none of those guys are mentally stable," retorted Raidou and a few laughs around the room. Sakura didn't laugh, nor Kakashi who was standing behind her the whole time.

Naruto shot the scarred ninja a half-hearted glare and chuckled weakly. "Yeah, and Sai-teme over there is a prime example of that fact."

All the shinobi in the room turned to the dark-haired artist standing by Aburame Shino in a corner. Sai merely smirked at Naruto's insult. "Wow, dickless, you actually sounded intelligent. Should we fear the apocalypse anytime soon?"

The blond troublemaker shot up from his seat and was about to shout at his teammate as Sakura grabbed his arm and yanked down at the same time as Kakashi pressed his shoulders from behind. He sat down abruptly and got an eyeful of angry kunoichi as Sakura glared at him. "This is not the time to fight, you guys! We have more important things to worry about and I don't want to have to hurt you two, understood?"

Both boys nodded quickly and visibly shrunk further away from the pinkette.

Then a chuunin in the background spoke up, "Why is that Root agent even here? Do you want Danzou to know what we're planning?"

Some others seemed to be thinking the same thing and heads turned towards Team Kakashi only to see a vein pop in Sakura's forehead. The poor chuunin never head a chance to even squeak in surprise as the volatile medic pinned him to the wall, nearly a foot over the ground with one hand. He shuddered in fear as her jade orbs glittered pure unadulterated anger at him. "Listen carefully to what I'm going to say," hissed Sakura in a low voice. "_Sai_ is my teammate and has been for a long time. I trust him with my life and the lives of my friends, and anyone who has something to say against Sai being where his team is, can tell it to my face and I'll show you just how loyal I am to my teammates. Is that clear enough?"

"C—C—Crystal," stuttered the terrified chuunin and the others quieted down as well. They feared Sakura's temper more than Danzou finding out about their plans.

"Sai is trustworthy," Kakashi spoke for the first time as he clasped the younger man's shoulder. "I can at least vouch for that."

"Well, when our rightful Hokage says that he's trustworthy and Sakura-san places so much trust in him than all we others can do is trust him as well," Nara Shikaku, the usual voice of reason at Jounin Council meetings spoke up and the entire room agreed with him. They wouldn't dare to contradict Kakashi _and_ Shikaku; respect for them outweighed even the fear of Sakura.

"Alright," piped up Sakura as she dusted her hands off her pants and moved away from the chuunin slumped on the ground. "It's nice that we cleared that misunderstanding. We still need to decide what we're gonna do about the whole Danzou debacle."

"We can't fight. That would cost us even more comrades and I personally don't wish to see Konoha fall prey to a civil war," Kakashi spoke again and Sakura pulled a pout. She'd been hoping for a chance to pound a few Root agents to oblivion.

"What're we gonna do then?" complained Naruto, equally crushed in his hopes to beat up some Root assholes.

"We plan how to overthrow Danzou's regime with as little violence and bloodshed as possible," answered Kakashi calmly having already expected that reaction in his former students.

"And how are we going to that?" asked a thoroughly confused Lee who was having some difficulty following the conversations. Battle plans and strategies he could understand, but political stuff went too far over his head to grasp. "With all due respect, Kakashi-sensei, I doubt that Danzou will simply let us hold large meetings in the village without trying to spy and then lock us away. Not even he is _that_ stupid."

"You're right of course, Lee," amended Shikaku having caught up to what Kakashi was thinking. "Danzou may be a lot of things, but he's not stupid. He'll find some way to arrest Kakashi and Sakura-san and to get Naruto out of his way, as they are the ones most dangerous to him. We others won't fare much better either if we're caught. Right now, we're all in danger."

"Father, are you thinking what I'm thinking that you are?" Shikamaru asked his father from where he was slouched in a chair to Naruto's other side.

"I am pretty sure that you are, Shikamaru," the elder Nara smiled at his son. No father had ever been so proud of a son like he was of his genius offspring. One day Shikamaru was going to be a great man, respected and looked up to by everyone. Shikaku only hoped that he'll live long enough to see that day come.

"What?" shouted Naruto, thoroughly confused and lost. "Explain to all non-mind-readers what you're talking about!"

It was Kakashi that answered him, "It's simple, Naruto. We're going to leave Konoha."

"**We're going to what?**" shouted Naruto and Sakura in union, both equally shocked by the news. The shock was doubled since it came from Kakashi. Sakura knew how much Kakashi loved the village, more so than any other of their comrades, he loved it enough to serve it faithfully for almost thirty years. But that was most probably the reason behind everything. Kakashi loved Konoha too much to let her be run down by a lunatic like Danzou. He would sooner betray it and plan the tyrant's downfall from afar than be right there and do nothing at all to stop the hated would-be leader.

"Calm down, you two," said the Copy Ninja tiredly. "You know very well that there's no way. We have to live and be free if we want our home back, and we can't fight for Konoha if we're killed or locked up. Besides, Danzou won't have much of a village to ruin if so many of us defect. And our numbers will be in hundreds. The other Kage will think twice about allying themselves with Danzou when they find out that he lost half his shinobi. Gaara will be the first to break the alliance with Konoha when Naruto defects and that is one of the things we're hoping to achieve."

"I see," Sakura murmured, deep in thought. "We'd be doing something equal to slandering Danzou's name, but twice as effective. What Kage wants an ally whose own subjects betray him in hundreds? Your name along with Naruto's will be a large catalyst for that. Everyone knows how loyal you two are to Konoha and the other Kage would have to worry about their own people protesting a union with Danzou when they find out. Even the Daimyo would be forced to rethink his decision. Not to mention that if we leave Danzou and the Elders will be ultimately left alone. The whole village will sooner or later turn their backs on them."

"Exactly, Sakura-san," agreed Shikaku and the shock added as the Copy Ninja's plan was fully revealed to everyone. It wasn't something they wanted to do, but it was a necessity.

"Right," deadpanned Sakura bluntly. "So when do we leave?"

It was meant to be a joke, but Kakashi answered with full seriousness of an experienced leader who had everything meticulously planned. "Tomorrow night."

* * *

That night nobody slept. ANBU went from door to door of those who've pledged their loyalty to Kakashi upon Danzou's announcement. One by one, the shinobi gathered in Nara residence to discuss the impending defection. By morning it was decided how many would be left behind to keep the others informed of Danzou's moves and how to manage the escape of so many people in a single night.

Dawn found Sakura and Ino in the tent housing the remaining supplies from the hospital. Without bothering to worry about leaving the village without the necessary medical supplies, they loaded three storage scrolls full and got away before the medic in charge came in for the day. The Akimichi Clan raided their many farms on the outskirts for as much food as possible while the Yamanaka loaded up on tents, weapons and bed-rolls and the Nara packed away medicine, soldier pills and storage scrolls as those were hard to get by and very expensive. The Hyuuga Clan Head came with money and as many supplies as the Clan could give away; only Neji and his two younger cousins would be able to leave with the rest. However, Hiashi promised to send as much money as he could afford in the future. The Aburame Clan would be staying as well, along with the Inuzuka, though the Aburame's insects would be used for communication and twenty giant, well-trained dogs would be accompanying the rebels on their voyage.

Aside from the Clans, Shikaku and seven other seasoned jonin including Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Chouza would be staying behind. They would be the eyes and ears of the rebels in the village. Ten chuunin teams, twelve genin teams without their teachers and ten ANBU captains with their squads would be staying as well. Academy children wouldn't be leaving either, but five of the fifteen teachers would stay with them and along with five of the ANBU squads would bring the children to the rebels when those found a secure place to house their base.

When night fell the defectors once again met up in Akimichi's restaurant for final details and departure. At midnight, they slowly found their way to the gates, hunched in shadows and on the look out for any patrolling Root agents. Kakashi, Sakura, and Kurenai cast a long-range genjutsu and they slipped out of the village undetected.

On the far eastern border of Fire, the large group split. As soon as Danzou found out that they had escaped, he would send hunters after them, and it simply wasn't possible to travel long distance with such a large group of people. They split up and scattered in all directions. They would meet up again at their final destination. As soon as Team Kakashi found their way across the world to the ungoverned territory beyond the farthest mountain chain of Lightening Country, they would send word and directions to others and wait to regroup. First then they could plot Danzou's downfall.

* * *

The night air was cold and Sakura shivered, pulling her cloak tighter as a chilly breeze blew by, rustling her hair. A moment later, she heard something shift and quiet footsteps echoing in her direction. Sai sat down next to her, angling his head to rest it on her shoulder and she scooted closer to him.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" He was close enough to hear her almost inaudible whisper.

"It's too cold," he replied just as softly.

Sakura sighed and looked up, trying to pull her cloak even closer. She caught sight of Kakashi's leg, hanging from the branch above her head. He'd gone to sleep without a cloak or blanket and didn't seem bothered in the slightest as he dreamt the December night away. Sakura hated winter.

"It'll be dawn in less than an hour," Sai whispered, shifting to drape his blanket over her as well.

"Yeah," she snuggled closer to him, seeking his body warmth. "I can't wait to get moving again."

A light metallic 'clang' was heard as she draped her arm over his bent knee. The guard on her glow had collided with the kunai in her sleeve. A sliver of last moonlight caught on the polished metal of the three barrettes holding her hair in place and flashed in Kakashi's face above. He woke up.

Sai heard the change in his breath pattern but remained silent, leaving Sakura unaware as she adjusted her apron to prevent some of the sharp weapons in there to poke her legs. It was heavy and didn't provide any warmth, but she would feel naked without it. Her life could be depending on something stored in the scratchy material. Or the lives of her friends. That made it almost easy to carry around.

The moon was slowly going down, she noted as her eyes found the dark sky again. The stars would start to flicker out soon too and a dreary dawn would replace the cold emptiness of the night.

Naruto was still snoring a few feet away, sprawled on top of his sleeping bag, clutching a blanket to his chest. The cold had no effect on him, it seemed. In a few minutes, the silence would break and they would head out again, towards an uncertain tomorrow.

Kakashi shifted on his branch and Sai lifted his head from Sakura's shoulder just as a piercing yowl rung through the dark, white forest. Naruto woke with a snort and sat up, Kakashi jumped down and Sai pulled the blanket away. The dawn had broken. It was time.

They broke the camp and erased all traces of their presence before the first light flickered on the horizon, as the cold winter sun peeked over the tall, bare trees; they set out, heading towards the sunrise.

By noon, they reached their destination. The forest gave way to a dirt road on one side and a turbulent, unruly river on the other, surrounded by tall, sharp cliffs and steep meadows, covered in a thick snow blanket. Here they broke apart.

Kakashi and Sakura would travel along the river, deep into the wilderness and mountains. Sai would follow the road to the next town to gather supplies and Naruto would cross the white fields to reach Earth Country and set a false trail for anyone following.

Kakashi summoned his ninken. Sai took Pakkun and Naruto two of the bigger ones. Sakura's bird summons would accompany her and the Copy Ninja.

By the rushing river, Sakura hugged her teammates. She slipped her arms around Naruto's waist and held him for a moment while he buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent. When they parted, she stood on tiptoes, slung her arms over Sai's shoulders, felt him bent down, and relax against her. It would be a while before they saw each other.

Kakashi patted the boys on their heads and they went their ways.

It could be months before the other two reached their destination.

* * *

**A.N./** Sorry for the delay, but with the holidays and everything I never got the chance to write. We went on a trip to France to my Grandparents and came back a week ago, mom didn't let me take my laptop and this was already halfway written before Christmas and I dind't want to give it up just to publish sooner. Well I hope you liked this chapter and will leave me a review or two.

Julie


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V – Breaking Point**

The plaintive cry of the eagle circling the white sky drowned out Sakura's own frustrated growl as she dragged her feet over the ice and snow covered rocky landscape. Immediately forgetting her frustration at their forcefully slow travel, she tore her eyes from the rushing river on her right and looked up. The majestic bird she'd gotten from Tsunade for her sixteenth birthday was looking towards the far left side to the mountains and let out another cry. Taking that as warning enough, the kunoichi let her chakra flare the tiniest bit, becoming the bird back. It answered with a short sharp noise and spiraled down towards her.

Pulling up the zipper of her cloak, she lifted her arm, baring her elbow length glove as her sleeve split in the middle. The eagle landed on her arm with ease and looked at her with keen intelligent eyes. It couldn't talk, but she understood him perfectly. Her eyes clouded over for a second as she absorbed what he'd told her. Patting the bird's proud head and strong beak with her other hand absently, she waited for Kakashi as he neared her.

"What is it?" he asked with a slightly widened wheezing voice, the cold was taking its toll on him as well.

"Iwa nins," she replied shortly, still petting her summon absently.

Kakashi nodded sharply and looked towards the mountains. They were dangerously close to the border of Stone territory, but they'd still thought that they wouldn't cross over even if they detected their movements. Unfortunately, ungoverned territory was free to anyone after all, especially so to a hostile group like Iwa shinobi. "How many and how long?"

_Too many and too soon_, was what she wanted to answer, but that was neither professional nor what Kakashi would accept as an answer. "About three squads, twelve, maybe more, hunters. And they'll reach here in a matter of minutes."

Kakashi swore under his breath and took off his cloak. They would have to fight there was no other away. Sending her bird up to the sky again, Sakura took her own cloak off and looked around. It was a terrible terrain to fight. She would have to limit herself to close range, hand-to-hand combat since even if she managed to disrupt the ground beneath the thick layer of snow, she would hinder herself and Kakashi as well. It was another story altogether for the Copy Ninja. The river would come in handy for his water jutsus and the Raikiri and Chidori weren't dependant on the terrain. She could only use the offensive medical ninjutsu and taijutsu. Genjutsu had a fifty-fifty chance on an opponent wearing an ANBU mask. Great. Just great.

She didn't get much more time to analyze the situation as they were suddenly swarmed by thirteen enemies, twelve in ANBU gear and masks, one in a jonin uniform. _This is going to be interesting_, thought Sakura grimly, only mildly unsettled as her Inner self agreed without putting up an argument. She can't go all out, but she could as hell give it her all and she was going to. No third class Iwa ANBU was going to claim victory over her. Not on Tsunade's name and her pride.

Their opponents were the type to attack first and ask questions later, both Kakashi and Sakura figured as kunai and shuriken came flying. They also weren't ones for strategizing, it seemed. Either that or they hadn't heard of the Copy Ninja yet. Both options only spoke for how dumb those guys were. But nothing would help them much in their situation. Nobody survived attacking Hatake Kakashi outright and without any kind of defense plan.

Snarling at the insolence of those idiots, Sakura changed the direction of her jump in the mid-air and charged the only jonin of the group. Get rid of the weakest link first. He didn't put up much of a fight. Underestimating her because of either her looks or her gender, he blocked her kick with his arm. First mistake. The bones shattered from wrist to shoulder under the impact and he screamed in agony. For a moment angry, he attempted to swipe at her with a kunai, his stance completely open. Second mistake, the last he would make. Grabbing his wrist in her hand, she snapped it with ease and ground her knee hard into his sternum, destroying his torso and killing him before he had a chance to scream a second time.

Throwing her dead opponent away, she landed in a crouch and looked towards Kakashi. He'd taken advantage of the ANBU's shock at seeing her one-sided battle and be-headed two of them, while running a Raikiri through another's heart.

Recovering from their disbelief and realizing their mistakes the remaining ANBU quickly regrouped, and then split three going at her and six charging the Copy Ninja.

She jumped out of the way of several kunai just as Kakashi landed on the river and began making rapid hand-sings. She recognized them as the Water Dragon jutsu he liked so much. Thinking quickly she sprinted towards the forest, her three opponents hot on her heels. She jumped up on the highest branch of the first tree she saw just as Kakashi's Dragon crushed on the ground and washed away the majority of the snow. The Copy Ninja was fighting three of his own pursuers on the river, the other three attempting to stand up after being washed away by the icy water. Her three ANBU were untouched. Didn't matter. Jumping over their heads, she took advantage of the situation and pumped her fist with chakra, slamming in into the ground as she landed, jumping up again in the same instant. Besides washing the thick layer of the snow away, the water had also been absorbed into the earth and frozen in a matter of seconds in the cold air. The ground shattered with a loud groan and trapped two of the ANBU who weren't quick enough.

Kakashi didn't have to look away from his opponent to know what had happened. The two trapped ANBU were dead in the blink of an eye as the pink-haired kunoichi rushed at them and crushed their skulls before they could free themselves. Five hunters down, seven more to go.

Getting tired of playing around with the idiots, Kakashi made lightening fast signs and blew a monstrous ball of flame through his mask, catching two of the hunters charging at him and burning them to ashes. If the Uchiha were good for anything than it would be their katon jutsu.

One of the ANBU who'd targeted Sakura suddenly lost his composure, it must be hard watching his comrades being dispatched off so easily. Unfortunately, he also lost what little brain he had in his skull. Whipping out a large, spiked lead ball on a long chain, he twirled it in the air for a few seconds before throwing it as the kunoichi. The weapon was obviously far too heavy for him and he didn't have much experience with it, it flew fast, but at an almost totally straight line. An academy student would be able to evade _that_, not to mention a medic-nin specially trained in evasive techniques. It was too easy. That's why Sakura didn't bother jumping out of the way. She drew out a kunai and pumped it with chakra. Watching the speeding ball, she judged the speed and the distance and then threw her weapon with as much power as possible. The small knife whizzed through the air, collided with the ball and passed right through. She watched in satisfaction as the ball of lead exploded in small bits and pieces and her kunai, unhindered, flew forward, and imbedded itself into the ANBU's skull, mask, and all.

Only two were left.

Sakura and Kakashi exchanged a look before going at their remaining opponents.

The horse-masked officer didn't get a chance to do much but let out a grunt and wheeze for a second as Sakura's fist collided with his chest and before he collapsed on the ground, dead. His snake-masked companion only twitched and jerked as electricity coursed through his body, courtesy of a Chidori through the stomach, grilling him from the inside.

Finally able to wind down, Sakura sighed and dusted her hands off. She was tired. If the fight had lasted only a little longer she would be out of chakra. Looking at Kakashi she scowled, he hadn't used his sharingan at all and looked as if he'd just finished a walk in the park and not a fight against thirteen opponents. Damn him.

Huffing and turning away before she said something that would only embarrass her, she stalked off towards her cloak and almost screamed as she bent to retrieve it.

"Oy!" she shouted and turned towards Kakashi, her scowl darker than before.

The Copy Ninja straightened after picking up his own cloak and turned to his teammate. "Hmm?"

"This is your entire fault, you bastard!" she ground out angrily, holding up her cloak that was strangely stiff. The slight confusion dissipated from Kakashi's face as realization dawned on him. Her cloak had gotten wet when he'd used his Water Dragon jutsu and now it was frozen solid.

"Ahahaha, oops!" he laughed awkwardly, but promptly stopped when he saw the look on her face. She was livid.

"Oops? _Ooops?_ Is that everything you have to say? Goddamnit, Kakashi! Give me your cloak and I might consider _not_ to fucking kill you in your sleep!"

Even if her threat was empty, he would rather not take chances with her. He'd been on the receiving end of that fist before, if only during sparring, and he didn't want to know what it felt like when she was pissed. With Naruto it always looked pretty damn painful, but Kakashi was no glutton for punishment like the Kyuubi Jinchuriki and didn't consider Sakura's fist anywhere near his body worth any amusement he might get from pissing her off. Being a man that treasures his own well-being, he handed her his cloak without a word of protest and remained quiet as she slumped down with her back to a tree and pulled her knees to her chest.

He let out a quiet sigh and thanked his own foresight for having put a warm wool shirt over his usual jonin regulation shirt. He still felt naked without his vest. It didn't offer any warmth, but he'd worn it for so long, it felt like a part of him, of who he was. If he'd ever get to wear it again, he didn't know and frankly, he didn't want to know. Worrying wasn't in his nature; he'll take the things as they come. Besides, Sakura worried enough for the whole lot of them.

Chancing another glance at the irate girl, he had to smile a little. His cloak covered her from neck to toe and dragged on the ground, but it would keep her warm, and she looked absolutely adorable, sniffing at the fabric and trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. At least the cloak was clean; he'd made sure to wash it before Pein attacked, as if he'd known he'd need it.

Banishing those thoughts from his mind, he took a last look at Sakura before gathering the bodies of the dead hunters. It wouldn't do to just leave them all over the clearing. Really, he couldn't care less about 'disrespecting' a living being like that, but as a missing-nin he couldn't just leave such blatant pointers. Anyone who'd ever heard of him or Sakura would immediately recognize their individual fighting styles if they ever saw the bodies. He couldn't burn them, that would make too much smoke and could attract more attention to them and they didn't need that so shortly after a fight. He would have to bury them. Luckily, Sakura'd used her signature move and created a fissure big enough to fit all eleven bodies. A small water jutsu softened the earth a little and he had no problems closing the fissure again. Just as he finished snow started falling again. Great, it would cover the last traces of their fight; he couldn't have made it better if he'd tried.

Sakura hadn't moved from her place and he figured that she wanted to be alone. She was probably tired and fighting those hunters must have driven the truth of their current existence harder into her brain than she could handle at the moment. He would leave her to sort herself out for a while and search for a place to stay the night, the sun was already going down over the mountains.

Spotting a small cave up on the first small rise of the mountain looming over them, he decided that it might be just what they needed for the night. Walking by Sakura, he caught sight of her eagle on a branch right above her head. It was pecking at the inside of its outstretched wing before it lifted its head and seemed to glare at Kakashi with a small, unfriendly cry. That bird had never liked him and he had no idea why. Taking his eye off the hostile bird, he quickly forgot about it and concentrated on the cave that would hopefully provide them shelter. If it was big enough and inhabitable and if some local animal hadn't already taken up residence. Contrary to what that bad tempered eagle thought of him – if it could think that is – he liked animals just fine and wouldn't throw a small, defenseless creature out in the dangers of the night just so that he could be warm and comfortable. If all of Sakura's summons were as hostile as that eagle, he was not sure if he would reach their destination alive.

A glance at Sakura brought a small smirk to his features. She was biting her right thumbnail and tapping a foot lightly against the ground. He didn't know if she was aware of it or not, but she'd adopted some of Tsunade's characteristic behaviors over the years; chewing on her thumbnail when worried being one of them. He was somehow glad that she'd formed herself with Tsunade as a role model. Aside from the drinking and gambling habits and the uncompromising temper, Tsunade had been a great woman, a strong kunoichi, and an even better leader, Sakura taking after her could only be good for the girl, and it assured him that Sakura would never forget Tsunade. Just as he'd never forgotten his father after he'd been ready to admit his own mistakes and realized that despite the manner of his death, Sakumo had never regretted putting his team's welfare over the success of the mission. The White Fang had had only ever regretted not being able to show his comrades the wrong of their ways. But being called a hero after his death was good enough for his father, Kakashi supposed. He'd been a low-key man and wanted almost nothing for himself.

Looking up with a small start as Kakashi's leg moved into her filed of vision, Sakura watched as he started slowly walking away from her. Instinct took over and a small hand flew out, clutching at his pant-leg. Kakashi stopped in his tracks and looked down. Sakura was watching him with a somewhat lost expression, her eyes huge and unfocused. But before he could inquire what was wrong, she started talking, her voice small and insecure.

"Don't… Don't go… Please, don't go away… Please, don't let me be alone…"

Genuinely worried for the girl, Kakashi knelt down in front of her and took her hand; it was icy cold.

"Sakura, what's wrong?"

"Please, don't leave me all alone," she whimpered, clutching his hand in a vice grip. He didn't mind.

"I'm not leaving you, Sakura," he said gently, clasping his other hand over her small shoulder and squeezing. The contact seemed to calm her a little. "I was just going to see if we can stay in that small cave up there for the night."

She shook her head violently, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't! Please, don't go away, Kakashi! Please! You can't leave me as well!"

"Sakura, calm down! Calm down, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here."

Now alarmed by her strange behavior, he sat down next to her and slung his arm over her shoulder, pulling her in. She relaxed a bit against him, resting her head under his chin, and fisting his shirt. They stayed like that for a little while before she started talking again.

"Everyone is leaving me. Shishou… Shishou died and left me all alone… Doesn't she know I need her? Naruto and Sai left too. Naruto promised he would always be there for me, that he won't abandon me like Sasuke did. He lied! And Sai said that he's not Sasuke and that he will not turn his back to his teammates and throw us away! He lied too! You can't go away, Kakashi! You're all I have left! I can't lose you, too. I don't even have a home anymore! If you go away I won't have anything! Please, Kakashi, don't ever leave me!"

Thoroughly disturbed by her breaking apart like that and fully convinced that she was near a nervous breakdown, Kakashi did the only thing he could think of at the moment. He lifted his eye-patch and forced her to look into the swirling crimson of his sharingan. She was out like a light, a second later.

Leaning back against the three, he gathered the small girl in his arms and held her tightly. How blind could he have been? He'd never noticed just how much Sasuke's defection had affected her. It should have been obvious. It should have been more than obvious to _him_ of all people. Of course, she'd developed abandonment issues after the whole fiasco. She'd been young and weak at that time, the strong Sakura he held now had first emerged after Tsunade took her under her wing. Back then, she couldn't have been able to handle it. And she hadn't. Naruto leaving for training shortly after that had probably worsened the whole thing. As for himself… He'd abandoned her too. And now… All those old fears and insecurities must have surfaced again full force, Tsunade's passing, and the situation in Konoha had probably affected her twice as much as they would have if Sasuke had never left. Damn that young fool. Didn't the boy know how much he'd hurt the people who cared for him? Betraying Konoha, Kakashi could forgive, but leaving behind Naruto and Sakura as if they didn't matter at all was unforgivable. Trampling on Sakura's feelings was even worse. Kakashi knew how much that hurt. He'd made the same mistake with Rin. She'd died before he could make amends. He hoped for Sasuke's sake that he wouldn't have to go through the same thing.

* * *

The night had already settled over the snow and ice when Sakura woke from her sharingan induced dreams. If one could call them dreams. She'd slept peacefully, but all she could remember was a jumble of images, none of which made any sense. Naruto had been there and Tsunade, Shizune, Kakashi and strangest of all Uchiha Itachi. She wondered briefly how one could dream of _him_ and it not being a horrid nightmare. But from what she remembered, the Uchiha genius had sat at Ichiraku's eating ramen of all things, whit _Naruto_ of all people.

_The sharingan fucks up your head even without the Tsukiyomi_, Inner Sakura murmured from somewhere in her sub-conscious mind. She wasn't ready to wake up. Too bad her over-active mind had other ideas. Even having only half a recollection of what happened before Kakashi knocked her out, was enough to embarrass her to death. What a huge, messy breakdown.

_It had to happen; you know,_ her Inner counterpart commented, much more in tune with their inner workings than Outer Sakura. _You were suffocating me in all that angst_.

_**Too bad you didn't drown in it,**_ Outer Sakura snapped, not in the mood to listen to her own psychotic complaints. _**I really need my head checked, big time.**_

_About time you finally realized that! But leave __**ME**__ out of it; __**I**__ am completely sane._

Now completely pissed off, Sakura didn't bother with _thinking _her reply. "Shut up, bitch!"

"I… didn't say anything," came the silent observation from somewhere to her right and Sakura straightened, mortified.

Deciding to play dumb, she turned to face Kakashi who sat near a fire, a blanket around his shoulders, book in hand, and smiled. "What?"

Raising a silver brow, Kakashi regarded her with slight amusement. _That_ might work on Naruto and Sai, but she'd never been able to fool _him_. "Arguing with Inner Sakura again? You two need to work those differences out, you know. Living together in such close quarters and constantly fighting can't be healthy."

For a moment, she gaped at him like a fish before his words registered fully and a vein popped in her forehead. The _nerve_ of that man!

"You have a death-wish, Kakashi? I can help with that, you only have to ask. And the next time you decide to insult me… DON'T!"

"Yare, yare, Sakura-chan. Now don't be angry at your old sensei. I'm only getting senile, so be a little understanding. I don't always know what I'm saying."

Not in the mood for his jokes, she just huffed and glared a bit harder. "Cut the bullshit, Kaka-sensei, I'm not in the mood!"

But in the end, she realized, it had been his smile that she'd needed the most. She could face anything if he was at her side, she was certain of it.

* * *

**A.N./** Chapter five! Woo, this took _forever_! I'm not so good at writing battle scenes since I tend to get repetitive and lose myself in a jungle of words halfway through. But I'm somewhat satisfied with this. Please tell me what you thought of this, I'm always happy to read your comments; they spur me on to continue writing even when I get suck like with this.

Julie

**PS. **Check out my drabbles under Julie's Travel Notebook, since I'll probably type out whatever I've written in there and post sometime soon. I don't know when since I've just started working at the hospital. Can you imagine how humiliating it is for a med student to work as a nurse assistant? I knew I should have taken up the offer and volunteered as a Candy Stripper.


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